Fabric-measuring apparatus



H. M. BERNARD FABRIC MEASURING APPARATUS Filed March 31, 1925 w' 4 4 r INVENTOR Patented Nov. 3%), 1926 UNITED STATES HARRY M; BERNARD, 01 BRA'DDGCK, PERI-1S1 LVA-NIAQ.

FABRICrMEASURING APPARATUS.

Application filed. March 31, 1925.

My invention relates to fabric measuring.

sired quantities of a fabric such as what is known as chicken wire fencing, may be conveniently withdrawn from a roll and auto matically and accurately measured.

Still another object of my invention 1s to simplify and improve generally the structure and operation of devices of the character referred to, in various respects, which will hereinafter more clearly appear.

One form which my invention may take is shown in the accompanying drawing wherein Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofi a machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational View looking from the right of Fig. 1; Fig; 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of the apparatus of Fig; 1, with the wire removed Fig. 4:} is a view taken on the line 4.t of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar cross sectional view of a portion of the winding drum which I employ, Fig. 6 is a View showing the manner in which the wire fabric is engaged by the winding drum, and Fig. 7 is a fragmentary view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the pointer-actuating mechanism. 7

The apparatus comprises a frame having uprights 7, and a trough or contalner 8 preferably of sheet metal which may be secured to or supported independently of the frame of the machine. A pair of locking bars 9 extend through and are supported by perforated lugs secured to the front edges of the uprights 7. The bars 9 are provided with handle portions 10 at their upper: ends and with hooks 11 at their lower ends and are normally yieldingly held against upward movement, by coil springs 12 which are interposed between the hook 11 and per forated lugs 13 through which the rods9 extend.

The trough .8 is adapted to support a roll of wire 14 from which the merchant may wish to withdraw pieces to be supplied customers. The roll of wire 14 is held in the trough by means of a rod 15 that extends therethrough and which is held against upward movement by means of the hooks 11, when wire is being drawn from the roll 1%.

A toothed roll 16 is journaled in the uprights 7 and is provided at its right hand end with a beveled pinion 18 that mesnes with a cooperating gear wheel 19 which is Serial, No. 19,65.

carried on a shaft 20 that is mounted on the end of the frame. At its upper end the shaft 20 has a worm 21 which meshes with a worm gear 22. v

The worm gear 2 is supported at the rear side of an indicator casing 23, upon a shaft 24. that extends through said casing and which has a ratchet wheel 25 secured there to intermediate its ends. an indicator disc 26, carrying a pointer, is loosely mounted on the inner end of the shaft 2 1 and has a. pawl 25* pivoted thereto. The pawl 25* is spring heldin engagement with the ratchet- 25, so that when the shaft 2% is rotated by drawing. fabrie across the roll 16, in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 7, the pawl and the indicator 26 carrying the same will be rotated, to n'ioye the pointer along the dial 26. The roller 16"may have a circumference of one foot, for example, so that e'aehtime a foot of wire has beendr'awn across it the indicator pointer will show such withdrawal accurately.

*W i'en the desired quantity of fabric has been measured off, the pointer 26 may be returned to'zer'o, by the operator moving it in a counter clockwise direction with his fingers. The pawl will slide-over the ratchet teeth and the ratchet remain stationary during the movement.

In orderto hold the wire taut and to maintain it in contact with the teeth of the roller 16 when it is being drawn upwardly, I provide a tension device which consists of suitably heavy members 27 that are pivoted to the uprights 7 as indicated at 28. A; bar 29 connects the members 27 and, since such members extend rearwardly' of their pivots 28, the bar 29 will be yieldab'ly held in its backward position, against the fabric. In placing a roll in the trough, the bar 29 may be tilted forwardly until it rests upon the forward edge of the trough 8. The rollmay then beplaced in the troiiglr and the end drawn up to the toothed roller, after which the bar 29 may be swung back to the position shown in Fig. 1.

At the top of the uprights 7 I pror'de bearing slots for supporting a winding shaft or drum 30 which has toothed projections 31 for engaging the forward end of the wire fabric to insure that it will be wound upon the shaft 80 when such shaft is rotated. The teeth 31 are parallel and angularly disposed in such manner that when the shaft 30 is lifted from the standards the roll of wire contained thereon may be readily slipped to the right off said shaft.

A bracket 32 consisting of two triangularly shaped spaced plates is secured to one end of the shaft 30 and pivotally supports a handle 33 that is loosely supported in a slot in the end of a block 34: that is slidable longitudinally of the shaft, and is held in said slot by means of a pin 34 When the handle 33 is rotated the shaft 30 and the bracket 32 will also be rotated.

The shaft 30 is provided with a bar which extends into a slotin the bar and is movable radially of the shaft, so that wire can be more conveniently wound thereon, and so that when the bar 35 is moved inwardly the wire roll can be more readily removed from the shaft 30.

In order to effect the expanding and collapsing movement of the bar 35, I mount slotted blocks 37 within the shaft 30 as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and I. These blocks are held in place by screws and the bottoms of their slots are provided with cam surfaces 37 that cooperate with complementary cammed surfaces formed upon the inner edge of the bar 35. At points be tween the blocks 37 the shaft 30 is provided with a plurality of pairs of inclined slots 38 through which the ends of pins 39 which are secured to the bar 35 extend.

The slidable block 3 through which the handle 33 extends is slotted at its inner end. A pin 40 extends through this slot and limits movement of the radially slotted left hand end of the bar 35, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. When the handle is moved to the right about its pivot 41 the bar 35, acting through the pin 40, is moved to the right and the pins 39 slide downwardly in the slots 38 to effect inward radial movement of the bar 35 with respect to the shaft 40. Upon movement of the hand in the opposite direction, the bar 35 is moved to the left, and the cooperating cam members carried by the bar and the shaft 30 cause the bar to be elevated as shown in full lines in Fig. 3 and in Fig. 4. The bar and the shaft are then in position to wind the wire. After the winding is completed the handle is moved to the right as above indicated, to secure the collapsing effect and permit the roll to be easily removed. from the shaft when it has been lifted from the standards 7. The pins 39 and a0 also prevent the bar from falling out of the shaft 30.

From the foregoingit will be seen that when the end of a roll of wire is hooked upon the shaft 30 and the crank rotated, wire may be withdrawn from the roll it nntil the pointer 25 indicates that the desired amount has been withdrawn. The wire may then be sheared at a point adjacent to the toothed roller 16 and the measured portion removed. from the shaft 30.

If desired, the cam surfaces 37 may be dispensed with and the inclined slots 33 and the pins 39 utilized to effect expanding and collapsing moven'ients as between the shaft 30 and the bar 35. Similarly, other means than the toothed roller 16 may be employed for feeding the wire, or other fabric. and registering the same. For instance, friction rollers could be substituted for the rollers 16 and paper, or fabrics such as cloth, fed therethrough.

I claim as my invention:

1. Fabric measuring mechanism comprising a measuring roll in position to be en gaged by the fabric being measured, a takeup reel for the fabric, a handle for turning said reel, the handle being non-rotatable relative to the reel but movable axially thereof, a fabric-engaging bar loosely carried by said reel, cooperating camming surfaces on said bar and reel, respectively, disposed axially of the reel, and a connection between said handle and said bar whereby the bar is moved along said caimning surfaces to efiect radial movement thereof when the handle is moved axially of the reel.

2. Fabric measuring mechanism comprising a measuring roll in position to be engaged by the fabric being measured, a talreup reel for the fabric, a handle for turning said reel, the handle being non-rotatable relative to the reel but movable axialli thereof, a fabric-engaging bar loosely carried by said reel, a connection between said handle and said bar, and means for eli'er-L- ing radial movement of the bar upon movement of the handle axially of the reel.

In testimony whereof I the said Hana; M. BERNARD, have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY M. BERNARD. 

